[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8498]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING BRENT WINN LAYTON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Denham) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to acknowledge and honor the 
life of a personal friend and Gold Star Father Brent Winn Layton. The 
beloved father, son, brother, and uncle died unexpectedly at the age of 
47 on Saturday, May 23, 2015, in Longmont, Colorado.
  Brent was born on October 23, 1967, in Berkeley, California, to 
Shirley Hughes and A. Winn Layton. Although Brent lived in many cities 
throughout his life, he was a longtime resident of the Escalon area and 
considered it home.
  Brent was a very gifted man with many levels. He served as a deputy 
sheriff in Kern County, California, and Clark County, Arkansas. He also 
served as a peace officer for the Escalon Police Department. In 
addition to his commitment to law enforcement, Brent was committed to 
God. He was a very spiritual man and found great comfort in his faith.
  Unfortunately, in 2009, Brent became a Gold Star Father when his 
firstborn son, James, was killed in action in Kunar province, 
Afghanistan, serving during Operation Enduring Freedom. Since then, 
Brent's mission in life was to embrace other Gold Star families and 
help them through the grieving process.
  Brent had many friends that loved him, and he had a heart full of 
love for them. His laugh, his sense of humor, and his big bear hugs 
will be missed forever. In addition, his friends and family admired his 
honest pride in his Cherokee Nation citizenship and will miss listening 
to him play guitar. There is peace in knowing that he is now with his 
son as well as the family and friends that have gone before him.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and recognizing Brent for his 
friendship, faith, and unwavering support for other military families. 
He had a genuine love for people, community, and country and will be 
missed by many. God bless him always.

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